Strawberry Extract Protects Against Sun’s Rays

A sunscreen made from strawberries? New research by Italian and Spanish researchers has found that a strawberry extract, added to skin cells in the laboratory, offers protection against ultraviolet radiation – a finding that could pave the way for creating photoprotective creams made from the berries.The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, found the extract also reduced UVA damage to DNA that can lead to skin cancer."We have verified the protecting effect of strawberry extract against damage to skins cells caused by UVA rays," said lead researcher Maurizio Battino, with the Università Politecnica delle Marche in Italy. “These aspects are of great importance as they provide protection for cell lines subject to conditions that can provoke cancer and other skin-related inflammatory and degenerative illnesses." Wheat Belly:#1 Diet and Health Book in America Changing Lives - ONLY $4.95! Save $21

To reach their conclusions, Battino’s team treated human skin cell cultures with the strawberry extract in different concentrations. They discovered the extract’s protective properties after exposing the cells to ultraviolet light at levels "equivalent to 90 minutes of midday summer sun in the French Riviera," he said.He added that the findings are the "first step in determining the beneficial effects of strawberries in our diet or as a possible compound source for 'food integrators' or cosmetics for instance."Scientists suspect what gives strawberries their photoprotective properties are anthocyanins – pigments that give leaves, flowers and fruits their red color. Analyses have confirmed that they are rich in such substances."These compounds have important anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tumor properties and are capable of modulating enzymatic processes," said co-researcher Sara Tulipani from the University of Barcelona. "We have not yet found a direct relationship between their presence and photoprotective properties."

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